Science Categories

1. Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from 'Urwa ibn az-Zubayr from 'A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, prayed in the mosque one night and people prayed behind him. Then he prayed the next night and there were more people. Then they gathered on the third or fourth night and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, did not come out to them. In the morning, he said, "I saw what you were doing and the only thing that prevented me from coming out to you was that I feared that it would become obligatory (fard) for you." This happened in Ramadan.

2. Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Abu Salama ibn 'Abd ar-Rahman ibn 'Awf from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to exhort people to spend the night in prayer in Ramadan but never ordered it definitely. He used to say, "Whoever stands in prayer in the night during Ramadan with belief and expecting the reward will be forgiven all his previous wrong actions."

Ibn Shihab said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, died while that was still the custom, and it continued to be the custom in the khalifate of Abu Bakr and at the beginning of the khalifate of 'Umar ibn al-Khattab."

Praying at Night during Ramadan

3. Malik related to me from Ibn Shihab from 'Urwa ibn az-Zubayr that 'Abd ar-Rahman ibn 'Abd al-Qari said, "I went out with 'Umar ibn al-Khattab in Ramadan to the mosque and the people there were spread out in groups. Some men were praying by themselves, whilst others were praying in small groups. 'Umar said, 'By Allah, I think that it would be better for all these people to join together behind one reciter.' So he gathered them behind Ubayy ibn Ka'b. Then I went out with him another night and the people were praying behind their Qur'an reciter. 'Umar said, 'This is an excellent innovation! But the one they sleep through is better than the one they are praying,' meaning the last part of the night, and people used to pray at the beginning of the night."

4. Yahya related to me from Malik from Muhammad ibn Yusuf that as-Sa'ib ibn Yazid said, "'Umar ibn al-Khattab ordered Ubayy ibn Ka'b and Tamim ad-Dari to lead the people in praying eleven rak'ats. The reciter of the Qur'an would recite the Mi'in (a group of medium-sized suras) until we would be leaning on our staffs from having stood so long in prayer. And we would not leave until the approach of dawn."

5. Yahya related to me from Malik that Yazid ibn Ruman said, "The people used to pray twenty-three rak'as at night during Ramadan in the time of 'Umar ibn al-Khattab."

6. Yahya related to me from Malik from Da'ud ibn al-Husayn that he heard al-A'raj say, "I never saw the people in Ramadan but that they were cursing the disbelievers." He added, "The reciter of Qur'an used to recite Surat al-Baqara in eight rak'ats and if he did it in twelve rak'as the people would think that he had made it easy."

7. Yahya related to me from Malik that 'Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr said, "I heard my father say, 'We finished praying in Ramadan and the servants hurried with the food, fearing the approach of dawn.' "

8. Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn 'Urwa from his father that Dhakwan Abu 'Amr (a slave belonging to 'A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, who was freed by her after her death) used to stand in prayer and recite for her in Ramadan.

1. Yahya related to me from Malik that Yahya ibn Sa'id said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had wanted to take two pieces of wood to strike them together to gather people for the prayer, and 'Abdullah ibn Zayd al-Ansari, of the tribe of Harith ibn al-Khazraj, was shown two pieces of wood in his sleep. He said, 'These are close to what the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, wants.' Then it was said, 'Do you not call to the prayer?' so when he woke up he went to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and mentioned the dream to him. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, ordered the adhan."[Also in Abu Dawud, at-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah]

2.Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from 'Ata' ibn Yazid al-Laythi from Abu Sa'id al-Khudri that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "When you hear the adhan, repeat what the mu'adhdhin says."

3.Yahya related to me from Malik from Sumayy, the mawla of Abu Bakr ibn 'Abd ar-Rahman, from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, stated, "If people only knew what was in the call to prayer and the first row, and could find no other way to get it than drawing lots for it, they would draw lots for it. If they only knew what was in going early to the prayer, they would race each other to get there. And if they only knew what was in the prayers of 'Isha' and Subh, they would come to them even if they had to crawl."

4.Yahya related to me from Malik from al-'Ala' ibn 'Abd ar-Rahman ibn Ya'qub from his father and Ishaq ibn 'Abdullah that they informed him that they heard Abu Hurayra say, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'When the iqama is called for prayer, do not come to it running, but come with calmness. Pray what you catch and complete what you miss. You are in prayer as long as your aim is the prayer.'"

5.Yahya related to me from Malik from 'Abd ar-Rahman ibn 'Abdullah ibn 'Abd ar-Rahman ibn Abu Sa'sa'a al-Ansari, and later al-Mazini, that his father told him that Abu Sa'id al-Khudri had said to him, "I see that you love sheep and the desert. When you are among your sheep or in the desert, call the prayer and raise your voice in the adhan, because I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, 'No jinn or man or anything within range hears the voice of the mu'adhdhin without bearing witness for him on the Day of Rising.'"

6.Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'z-Zinad from Al-A'raj from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "When the call to prayer is made Shaytan retreats, passing wind, so that he will not hear it. When the adhan is completed he comes back, until, when the iqama is said, he retreats again. When the iqama is completed, he comes back, until he comes between a man and his self and says, 'Think of such and such, think of such and such,' which he was not thinking about before, until the man does not know how much he has prayed."

7.Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu Hazim ibn Dinar that Sahl ibn Sa'd as-Sa'idi said, "There are two times when the gates of heaven are opened, and few who make supplication have it returned to them unanswered. They are at the time of the adhan, and in a rank of people fighting in the way of Allah."[Ibn 'Abdu'l-Barr said that most transmitters of the Muwatta' consider this to be mawquf]

Malik was asked whether the adhan on the day of Jumu'a was called before the time had come for the prayer and he said, "It is not called until after the sun has passed the meridian."

Malik was asked about doubling the adhan and the iqama, and at what point people had to stand when the iqama for the prayer was called. He said, "I have heard nothing about the adhan and iqama except what I have seen people do. As for the iqama, it is not doubled. That is what the people of knowledge in our region continue to do. As for people standing up when the iqama for the prayer is called, I have not heard of any definite point at which it is begun, and I consider it rather to be according to people's (individual) capacity, for some people are heavy and some are light, and they are not able to be as one man."

Malik was asked about a gathering of people who wished to do the prescribed prayer calling the iqama and not the adhan, and he said, "It is enough for them. The adhan is only obligatory in mosques where the prayer is said in congregation."

Malik was asked about the mu'adhdhin saying "Peace be upon you" to the imam and calling him to the prayer, and he was asked who was the first person to whom such a greeting was made. He replied, "I have not heard that this greeting occurred in the first community."

Yahya said that Malik was asked whether a mu'adhdhin who called the people to prayer and then waited to see if anyone would come and no one did, so he said the iqama and did the prayer by himself and then people came after he had finished, should repeat the prayer with them. Malik said, "He does not repeat the prayer, and whoever comes after he has finished should do the prayer by himself."

Yahya said that Malik was asked about a mu'adhdhin who called the adhan for a group of people, did voluntary prayers, and then the group of people wanted to do the prayer with some one else saying the iqama. He said, "There is no harm in that. His iqama or somebody else's are the same."

Yahya said that Malik said, "The Subh prayer is still called before dawn. As for the other prayers, we believe that they should only be called after the time has started."

8.Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that the mu'adhdhin came to 'Umar ibn al-Khattab to call him to the Subh prayer and found him sleeping, so he said, "Prayer is better than sleep," and 'Umar ordered him to put that in the adhan for Subh.

9.Yahya related to me from Malik from his paternal uncle Abu Suhayl ibn Malik that his uncle's father said, "I recognise nothing nowadays of what I saw the people (i.e. the companions of the Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace) doing except the call to prayer."

10.Yahya related to me from Malik that 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar heard the iqama while he was in Baqi'*, so he increased his pace of walking to the mosque.[* Baqi' is the graveyard of Madina, about three hundred yards from the mosque.]

The Adhan on a Journey and without 'Wudu'

11.Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi' that 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar called the adhan on a cold and windy night and included the phrase, "Pray in your houses." Then he said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to order the mu'adhdhin to say, 'Pray in your houses' when it was a cold, rainy night."

12.Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi' that on a journey 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar did no more than the iqama, except for Subh, when he called both the adhan and the iqama. 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar used to say, "The adhan is for an imam whom people join [for the prayer]."

13.Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn 'Urwa that his father said to him, "When you are on a journey you can, if you wish, call the adhan and the iqama, or, if you wish, the iqama and not the adhan."

Yahya said that he heard Malik say, "There is no harm in a man calling the adhan while riding."

14.Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Sa'id that Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab used to say, "If someone prays in waterless, desolate land, an angel prays on his right and an angel prays on his left. When he calls both the adhan and the iqama for the prayer, or calls out the iqama, mountains of angels pray behind him."

The Meal before Dawn (Sahur) in Relation to the Adhan

15.Yahya related to me from Malik from 'Abdullah ibn Dinar from 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Bilal calls the adhan whilst it is still night so eat and drink until Ibn Umm Maktum calls the adhan."

16.Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Salim ibn 'Abdullah that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Bilal calls the adhan in the night, so eat and drink until Ibn Umm Maktum calls the adhan." Ibn Umm Maktum was a blind man who did not call the adhan until someone said to him, "The morning has come. The morning has come."

The Opening of the Prayer

17.Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Salim ibn 'Abdullah from 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to raise his hands to the level of his shoulders when he began the prayer and when he raised his head from the ruku' he raised them in the same way, saying, "Allah hears whoever praises him, our Lord and praise belongs to You." He did not do that in the sujud.

18.Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab that 'Ali ibn Husayn ibn 'Ali ibn Abi Talib said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to say, 'Allah is greater' whenever he lowered himself and raised himself, and he continued to pray like that until he met Allah."

19.Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Sa'id from Sulayman ibn Yasar that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to raise his hands in the prayer.

20. Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Abu Salama ibn 'Abd ar-Rahman ibn 'Awf that Abu Hurayra used to lead them in prayer and would say "Allah is greater" whenever he lowered himself and raised himself. When he had finished he would say, "By Allah, I am the person whose prayer most resembles the prayer of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace."

21.Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Salim ibn 'Abdullah that 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar used to say "Allah is greater" in the prayer whenever he lowered himself and raised himself.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi' that 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar used to raise his hands to the level of his shoulders when he began the prayer and when he came up from ruku' he would raise them less than that.

22. Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu Nu'aym Wahb ibn Kaysan that Jabir ibn 'Abdullah used to teach them the takbir in the prayer. Abu Nu'aym said, "He used to tell us to say 'Allah is greater' whenever we lowered or raised ourselves."

23.Yahya related to me from Malik that Ibn Shihab used to say, "When a man catches the rak'a he says, 'Allah is greater' once, and that takbir is enough for him."

Malik added, "That is if he intended to begin the prayer by that takbir."

Malik was asked about a man who began with the imam but forgot the opening takbir and the takbir of the ruku' until he had done one rak'a. Then he remembered that he had not said the takbir at the opening nor in the ruku', so he said the takbir in the second rak'a. He said, "I prefer that he start his prayer again, but if he forgets the opening takbir with the imam and says the takbir in the first ruku', I consider that enough for him if he intends by it the opening takbir."

Malik said about someone who prayed by himself and forgot the opening takbir, "He begins his prayer afresh."

Malik said about an imam who forgot the opening takbir until he had finished his prayer, "I think that he should do the prayer again, and those behind him, even if they have said the takbir."

The Recitation of Qur'an in the Maghrib and 'Isha Prayers

24.Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Muhammad ibn Jubayr ibn Mut'im that his father said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, recite at-Tur (sura 52) in the Maghrib prayer."

25.Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from 'Ubaydullah ibn 'Abdullah ibn 'Utba ibn Mas'ud from 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas that Umm al-Fadl bint al-Harith heard him reciting al-Mursalat (sura 77) and she said to him, "My son, you have reminded me by reciting this sura that it was what I last heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, recite in the Maghrib prayer."

26.Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu 'Ubayd, the mawla of Sulayman ibn 'Abd al-Malik, from 'Ubada ibn Nusayy from Qays ibn al-Harith that Abu 'Abdullah as-Sunabihi said, "I arrived in Madina in the khalifate of Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, and I prayed Maghrib behind him. He recited the Umm al-Qur'an and two suras from the shorter ones of the Mufassal in the first two rak'as. Then he stood up in the third and I drew so near to him that my clothes were almost touching his clothes. I heard him reciting the Umm al-Qur'an and this ayat, 'Our Lord, do not make our hearts deviate after You have guided us. And give us mercy from You. You are the Ever-Giving.'" (3:8).

27.Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi' that 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar used to recite in all four rak'as when he prayed alone - in every rak'a the Umm al-Qur'an and another sura from the Qur'an. Sometimes he would recite two or three suras in one rak'a in the obligatory prayer. Similarly, he recited the Umm al-Qur'an and two suras in the first two rak'as of Maghrib.

28.Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Sa'id from 'Adi ibn Thabit al-Ansari that al-Bara' ibn 'Azib said, "I prayed 'Isha' with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he recited at-Tin (sura 95) in it."

Behaviour in the Recitation

29.Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi' from Ibrahim ibn 'Abdullah ibn Hunayn from his father from 'Ali ibn Abi Talib that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, forbade wearing the qassi (an Egyptian garment, striped with silk), wearing gold rings, and reciting the Qur'an in ruku'.

30.Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Sa'id from Muhammad ibn Ibrahim ibn al-Harith at-Taymi from Abu Hazim at-Tammar from al-Bayadi that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came out to the people while they were praying and their voices were raised in the recitation. He said, "When you pray you are talking confidentially to your Lord. So look to what you confide to Him, and do not say the Qur'an out loud so that others hear it."[A similar hadith is reported from Abu Sa'id al-Khudri by Abu Dawud]

31.Yahya related to me from Malik from Humayd at-Tawil that Anas ibn Malik said, "I stood behind Abu Bakr and 'Umar and 'Uthman and none of them used to recite 'In the Name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Most Merciful' when they began the prayer."

32.Yahya related to me from Malik from his paternal uncle Abu Suhayl ibn Malik that his father said, "We heard the recitation of 'Umar ibn al-Khattab when we were at the home of Abu Jahm in al-Balat." (Al-Balat was a place in Madina between the mosque and the market.)

33.Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi' that when 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar missed anything of a prayer in which the imam had recited out loud, he would stand up when the imam had said the taslim and recite what he owed out loud by himself.

34.Yahya related to me from Malik that Yazid ibn Ruman said, "I used to pray next to Nafi' ibn Jubayr ibn Mut'im and he would nudge me to prompt him while we were praying."

The Recitation in the Subh Prayer

35.Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn 'Urwa from his father that Abu Bakr as-Siddiq prayed Subh and recited Surat al-Baqara in the two rak'ats.

"I (Hisham's father) said, 'By Allah, then it must have been his habit to get up at the crack of dawn.' He said, 'Of course.'

37.Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Sa'id and Rabi'a ibn Abi 'Abd ar-Rahman from al-Qasim ibn Muhammad that al-Furafisa ibn 'Umayr al-Hanafi said, "I only learnt Surat Yusuf (sura 12) from the recitation of it by 'Uthman ibn 'Affan in the Subh prayer because of the great number of times he repeated it to us."

38.Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi' that 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar used to recite the first ten suras of the Mufassal in the Subh prayer, and on a journey he would recite the Umm al-Qur'an and a sura in every rak'a.

The Umm al-Qur'an

39.Yahya related to me from Malik from al-'Ala' ibn 'Abd ar-Rahman ibn Ya'qub that Abu Sa'id, the mawla of 'Amir ibn Kurayz, told him that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, called to 'Ubayy ibn Ka'b while he was praying. When 'Ubayy had finished his prayer he joined the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and the Messenger of Allah put his hand upon his hand, and he was intending to leave by the door of the mosque, so the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "I hope that you will not leave the mosque until you know a sura whose like Allah has not sent down in the Torah nor in the Gospek nor in the Qur'an." 'Ubayy said, "I began to slow down my pace in the hope of that. Then I said, 'Messenger of Allah, the sura you promised me!' He said, 'What do you recite when you begin the prayer?' I recited the Fatiha (sura 1) until I came to the end of it, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'It is this sura, and it is the "Seven Oft-Repeated" and the "Great Qur'an" which I was given.'"[al-Bukhari has this story from Abu Sa'id al-Mu'alla)

40.Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu Nu'aym Wahb ibn Kaysan that he heard Jabir ibn 'Abdullah say, "Someone who prays a rak'at without reciting the Umm al-Qur'an in it has not performed the prayer, unless he is praying behind an imam."

Reciting to Oneself behind the Imam when He does not Recite Aloud

41.Yahya related to me from Malik from al-'Ala' ibn 'Abd ar-Rahman ibn Ya'qub that he heard Abu's-Sa'ib, the mawla of Hisham ibn Zuhra, say he had heard Abu Hurayra say, "I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, 'Someone prays a prayer without reciting the Umm al-Qur'an in it, his prayer is aborted, it is aborted, it is aborted, incomplete. So I said, 'Abu Hurayra, sometimes I am behind the imam.' He pulled my forearm and said, 'Recite it to yourself, O Persian, for I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say that Allah the Blessed, the Exalted, said, "I have divided the prayer into two halves between me and my slave. One half of it is for Me and one half of it is for My slave, and My slave has what he asks for."' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Recite." The slave says, 'Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.' Allah the Blessed, the Exalted, says, 'My slave has praised Me.' The slave says, 'The All-Merciful, the Most Merciful.' Allah says, 'My slave has spoken well of Me.' The slave says, 'Master of the Day of the Deen.' Allah says, 'My slave has glorified Me.' The slave says, 'You alone we worship and You alone we ask for help.' Allah says, 'This ayat is between Me and My slave, and for My slave is what he asks for.' The slave says, 'Guide us in the straight Path, the Path of those whom You have blessed, not of those with whom You are angry, nor those who are in error.' Allah says, 'These are for My slaves, and for My slave is what he asks for.'"

42.Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn 'Urwa that his father used to recite behind the imam when the imam did not recite aloud.

43.Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Sa'id and from Rabi'a ibn Abi 'Abd ar-Rahman that al-Qasim ibn Muhammad used to recite behind the imam when the imam did not recite aloud.

44.Yahya related to me from Malik from Yazid ibn Ruman that Nafi' ibn Jubayr ibn Mut'im used to recite behind the imam when he did not recite aloud.

Malik said, "That is what I prefer of what I have heard about the matter."

Not Reciting behind the Imam when He Recites Aloud

45.Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi' that 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar, when asked if anyone should recite behind an imam, said, "When you pray behind an imam then the recitation of the imam is enough for you, and when you pray on your own you must recite."

Nafi' added, "'Abdullah ibn 'Umar used not to recite behind the imam."

Yahya said that he heard Malik say, "The position with us is that a man recites behind the imam when the imam does not recite aloud and he refrains from reciting when the imam recites aloud."

46.Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Ibn Ukayma al-Laythi from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, finished a prayer in which he had recited aloud and asked, "Did any of you recite with me just now?" One man said, "Yes, I did, Messenger of Allah." The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "I was saying to myself, 'Why am I distracted from the Qur'an?'" When the people heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say that, they refrained from reciting with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, when he recited aloud.

Saying 'Amin' behind the Imam

47.Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab that Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab and Abu Salama ibn 'Abd ar-Rahman told him from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "When the imam says 'Amin', say 'Amin'. If someone's 'Amin' coincides with that of the angels, he will be forgiven his past wrong actions."

Ibn Shihab said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to say 'Aameen' (extending it)."

48.Yahya related to me from Malik from Sumayy, the mawla of Abu Bakr, from Abu Salih as-Samman, from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "When the imam has said, 'not of those with anger on them nor of those who are in error,' say 'Amin', for the past wrong actions of all those whose utterance coincides with that of the angels are forgiven them."

49.Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'z-Zinad from al-A'raj from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "When any of you say 'Amin' and the angels in the heavens also say 'Amin' so that the one coincides with the other, his past wrong actions are forgiven him."

50.Yahya related to me from Malik from Sumayy, the mawla of Abu Bakr, from Abu Salih as-Samman from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "When the Imam says, 'Allah hears whoever praises Him,' say, 'O Allah, our Lord, praise belongs to You.' Anyone whose words coincide with those of the angels will be forgiven his past wrong actions.'"

Behaviour in the Sitting in the Prayer

51.Yahya related to me from Malik from Muslim ibn Abi Maryam that 'Ali ibn 'Abd ar-Rahman al-Mu'awi said, "'Abdullah ibn 'Umar saw me playing with some small pebbles in the prayer. When I finished he forbade me, saying, 'Do as the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, did.' I asked, 'What did the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, do?' He said, 'When he sat in the prayer, he placed his right hand on his right thigh and he closed his fist and pointed his index finger, and he placed his left hand on his left thigh. That is what he used to do.'"

52.Yahya related to me from Malik from 'Abdullah ibn Dinar that he had seen 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar praying with a man beside him. When the man sat in the fourth rak'at, he put both feet to one side and crossed them. When 'Abdullah finished, he disapproved of that to him, and the man protested, "But you do the same." 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar said, "I am ill."

53.Yahya related to me from Malik from Sadaqa ibn Yasar that al-Mughira ibn Hakim saw 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar sit back from the two sajdas of the prayer onto the top of his feet. When he had finished, al-Mughira mentioned it to him, and 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar explained, "It is not a sunna of the prayer. I do it because I am ill."

54.Yahya related to me from Malik from 'Abd ar-Rahman ibn al-Qasim that 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar told him that he used to see 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar cross his legs in the sitting position of the prayer. He said, "So I did the same, and I was young at the time. 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar forbade me to do it, saying, 'The sunna of the prayer is that you keep your right foot vertical and lay your left foot down.' I said to him, 'But you were doing that.' He said, 'My feet do not support me.'"

55.Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Sa'id that al-Qasim ibn Muhammad showed them how to sit in the tashahhud, and he kept his right foot vertical and laid his left foot down, and sat on his left haunch not on his foot. Then he said, "'Abdullah ibn 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar saw me doing this and related to me that his father used to do the same thing."

Tashahhud in the Prayer

56.Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from 'Urwa ibn az-Zubayr from 'Abd ar-Rahman ibn 'Abd al-Qari that he heard 'Umar ibn al-Khattab say, while he was teaching people the tashahhud from the minbar, "Say: 'Greetings belong to Allah. Pure actions belong to Allah. Good words and prayers belong to Allah. Peace on you, Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. Peace be upon us and on the slaves of Allah who are right-acting. I testify that there is no god except Allah. And I testify that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger.'"

57.Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi' that 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar used to say the tashahhud saying, "In the Name of Allah. Greetings belong to Allah. Prayers belong to Allah. Pure actions belong to Allah. Peace be on the Prophet and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. Peace be on us and on the slaves of Allah who are right-acting. I testify that there is no god except Allah. I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah."

He used to say this after the first two rak'ats and he would make supplication with whatever seemed fit to him when the tashahhud was completed. When he sat at the end of the prayer, he did the tashahhud in a similar manner, except that after the tashahhud he made supplication with whatever seemed fit to him. When he had completed the tashahhud and intended to say the taslim, he said, "Peace be on the Prophet and His mercy and blessings. Peace be upon us and on the slaves of Allah who are right-acting."

He then said, "Peace be upon you" to his right, and would return the greeting to the imam, and if anyone said "Peace be upon you" from his left he would return the greeting to him.

58.Yahya related to me from Malik from 'Abd ar-Rahman ibn al-Qasim from his father that 'A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to say in the tashahhud, "Greetings, good words, prayers, pure actions belong to Allah. I testify that there is no god except Allah, alone without partner, and that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger. Peace be on you, Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. Peace be on us and on the slaves of Allah who are right-acting. Peace be upon you."

59.Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Sa'id al-Ansari that al-Qasim ibn Muhammad ibn Muhammad told him that 'A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to say in the tashahhud, "Greetings, good words, prayers, pure actions belong to Allah. I testify that there is no god except Allah, alone without partner, and I testify that Muhammad is the slave of Allah and His Messenger. Peace be upon you, Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. Peace be upon us and on the slaves of Allah who are right-acting. Peace be upon you."

60.Yahya related to me from Malik that he asked Ibn Shihab and Nafi', the mawla of Ibn 'Umar, whether a man who joined an imam who had already done a rak'a should say the tashahhud with the imam in the second and fourth rak'as, even though these were odd for him? They said, "He should say the tashahhud with him."

Malik said, "That is the position with us."

What to do if one raises one's head before the imam

61.Yahya related to me from Malik from Muhammad ibn 'Amr ibn 'Alqama from Malik ibn 'Abdullah as-Sa'di that Abu Hurayra said, "The forelock of some one who raises his head and lowers it before the imam is in the hand of a shaytan."

Malik said concerning some one who forgot and raised his head before the imam in ruku' or sujud, "The sunna of that is to return to bowing or prostrating and not to wait for the imam to come up. What he has done is a mistake, because the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'The imam is appointed to be followed, so do not differ with him.' Abu Hurayra said, 'The forelock of some one who raises his head and lowers it before the imam is in the hand of a shaytan.'"

What to do if through forgetfulness one says the taslim after two rak'as

62.Yahya related to me from Malik from Ayyub ibn Abi Tamima as-Sakhtayani from Muhammad ibn Sirin from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, finished the prayer after two rak'as and Dhu'l-Yadayn asked him, "Has the prayer been shortened or did you forget, Messenger of Allah?" The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Has Dhu'l-Yadayn spoken the truth?" The people said, "Yes," and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, stood and prayed another two rak'ats and then said, "Peace be upon you." Then he said, "Allah is greater" and went into a sajda as long as his usual prostration or longer. Then he came up from sajda and said, "Allah is greater" and went into a sajda as long as his usual prostration or longer and then came up.

63.Yahya related to me from Malik from Daud ibn al-Husayn that Abu Sufyan, the mawla of Ibn Abi Ahmad, said that he heard Abu Hurayra say, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, prayed 'Asr and said the taslim after two rak'ats. Dhu'l-Yadayn stood up and said, 'Has the prayer been shortened, Messenger of Allah, or did you forget?' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, stood up and completed what remained of the prayer, and then, remaining sitting after saying the taslim, he made two prostrations."

64.Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab that Abu Bakr ibn Sulayman ibn Abi Hathma said, "I have heard that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, prayed two rak'as of one of the two day-time prayers, Dhuhr or 'Asr, and said the taslim after two rak'as. Dhu'sh-Shamalayn asked him, 'Has the prayer been shortened, Messenger of Allah, or did you forget?' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'The prayer has not been shortened and I did not forget.' Dhu'sh-Shamalayn said, 'It was certainly one of those, Messenger of Allah.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, approached the people and said, 'Has Dhu'sh-Shamalayn spoken the truth?' They replied, 'Yes, Messenger of Allah,' and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, completed what remained of the prayer, and then said, 'Peace be upon you.'"

65.Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab, and from Abu Salama ibn 'Abd ar-Rahman, the same as that.

Malik said, "For every forgetfulness which decreases from the prayer, prostrations for it are done before the greeting, and for every forgetfulness which is an addition to the prayer, prostrations are done for it come after the greeting."

Completing what is recalled when uncertain how much has been prayed

66.Yahya related to me from Malik from Zayd ibn Aslam from 'Ata' ibn Yasar that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "If you are uncertain in the prayer and do not know whether you have prayed three or four rak'ats, then pray a rak'at and make two prostrations from the sitting position before the taslim. If the rak'at that you prayed was the fifth, then you make it even by these two sajdas, and if it was the fourth, then the two prostrations spite Shaytan."[Muslim has this from Abu Sa'id al-Khudri]

67.Yahya related to me from Malik from 'Umar ibn Muhammad ibn Zayd from Salim ibn 'Abdullah that 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar used to say, "If you are uncertain in the prayer, estimate what you think you have forgotten of the prayer and repeat it, then do the two sajdas of forgetfulness from the sitting position."

68.Yahya related to me from Malik from 'Afif ibn 'Amr as-Sahmi that 'Ata' ibn Yasar said, "I asked 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'As and Ka'b al-Ahbar about someone who was uncertain in his prayer and did not know whether he had prayed three or four rak'ats. Both of them said, 'He should pray another rak'a and then do two sajdas from the sitting position.'"

69.Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi' that 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar, when questioned about forgetfulness in the prayer, said, "If you think that you have forgotten part of the prayer, then pray it."

What to do if one stands after the completion of the prayer or after two rak'as

70.Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from al-A'raj that 'Abdullah ibn Buhayna said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, prayed two rak'as with us then got up without sitting back and the people stood with him. When he had finished the prayer and we had seen him say the taslim, he said 'Allah is greater' and did two sajdas from the sitting position and then said the taslim again."

71.Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Sa'id from 'Abd ar-Rahman ibn Hurmuz that 'Abdullah ibn Buhayna said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, prayed Dhuhr with us and he stood straight up after two rak'ats without sitting. When he had finished the prayer, he did two sajdas and then said the taslim after that."

Malik said, concerning someone who forgot in his prayer and stood up after he had completed four rak'ats and recited and then went into ruku' and then, when he raised his head from ruku', remembered that he had already completed (his prayer), "He returns to a sitting position and does not do any sajda. If he has already done one sajda I do not think he should do another. Then when his prayer is finished he does two sajdas from the sitting position after saying the taslim."

Distraction in the Prayer

72.Yahya related to me from Malik from 'Alqama ibn Abi 'Alqama from his mother that 'A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Abu Jahm ibn Hudhayfa gave the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, a fine striped garment from Syria and he did the prayer in it. When he had finished he said, 'Give this garment back to Abu Jahm. I looked at the stripes in the prayer and they almost distracted me.'"

73.Malik related to me from Hisham ibn 'Urwa from his father that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, wore a fine striped garment from Syria, and then gave it to Abu Jahm and took a plain, rough, garment in return. Abu Jahm asked, "Messenger of Allah! Why?" He said, "I looked at the stripes in the prayer."

74.Malik related to me from 'Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr that Abu Talha al-Ansari was praying in his garden when a wild pigeon flew in and began to fly to and fro trying to find a way out. The sight was pleasing to him and he let his eyes follow the bird for a time and then he went back to his prayer but could not remember how much he had prayed. He said, "A trial has befallen me in this property of mine." So he came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and mentioned the trial that had happened to him in his garden and said, "Messenger of Allah, it is a sadaqa for Allah, so dispose of it wherever you wish."

75.Yahya related to me from Malik from 'Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr that a man from the Ansar was praying in a garden of his in Quff, one of the valleys of Madina, during the date season and the branches of the palms were sagging with fruit on all sides. He stared at their fruitfulness in amazement. Then he went back to his prayer and he did not know how much he had prayed. He said, "A trial has befallen me in this property of mine." So he went to 'Uthman ibn 'Affan, who was the khalifa at the time, and mentioned it to him and said, "It is sadaqa, so give it away in the paths of good." 'Uthman ibn 'Affan sold it for fifty thousand and so that property became known as the Fifty.

1.Yahya related to me from Malik from Da'ud ibn al-Husayn from al-A'raj from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, joined Dhuhr and 'Asr on his journey to Tabuk.

2.Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'z-Zubayr al-Makki from Abu't-Tufayl 'Amir ibn Wathila that Mu'adh ibn Jabal told him that they went out with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in the year of Tabuk, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, joined Dhuhr with 'Asr and Maghrib with 'Isha'. Mu'adh said, "One day he delayed the prayer and then came out and prayed Dhuhr and 'Asr together. Then he said, 'Tomorrow you will come, Allah willing, to the spring of Tabuk. But you will not get there until well into the morning. No one who arrives should touch any of its water until I come.' We came to it and two men had got to it before us and the spring was dripping with a little water. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, asked them, 'Have you touched any of its water?' They said, 'Yes.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, reviled them and said what Allah wished him to say. Then they took water with their hands from the spring little by little until it had been collected in something. Then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, washed his face and hands in it. Then he put it back into the spring and the spring flowed with an abundance of water and the people drew water from it. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'If you live long enough, Mu'adh, you will see this place filled with gardens.'"

3.Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi' that 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to join Maghrib and 'Isha' together when it was urgent to travel."

4.Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'z-Zubayr al-Makki from Sa'id ibn Jubayr that 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, prayed Dhuhr and 'Asr together and Maghrib and 'Isha' together, and not out of fear nor because of travelling."

Malik said, "I believe that was during rain." 5.Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi' that 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar used to join the prayer behind the amirs if they joined Maghrib and 'Isha' in the rain.

6.Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab that he had asked Salim ibn 'Abdullah, "Can you join Dhuhr and 'Asr when travelling?" He said, "Yes, there is no harm in that. Have you not seen the people praying at 'Arafa?"

7.Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that 'Ali ibn Husayn used to say, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, would join Dhuhr and 'Asr if he wished to travel the same day, and he would join Maghrib and 'Isha' if he wished to travel the same night."

Shortening the Prayer in Travel

8.Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from a man of the family of Khalid ibn Asid that he said to 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar, "Abu 'Abd ar-Rahman, we find the fear prayer and the prayer when settled mentioned in the Qur'an, but we do not find any mention of the travelling prayer in it." Ibn 'Umar said, "Son of my brother! Allah the Mighty and Majestic sent us Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and we know nothing. We only do as we saw him doing."

9.Yahya related to me from Malik from Salih ibn Kaysan from 'Urwa ibn az-Zubayr that 'A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "The prayer was prescribed as two rak'ats, whether resident or travelling. Then the travelling prayer was kept the same but the residential prayer was increased."

10.Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Sa'id that he asked Salim ibn 'Abdullah what was the latest he had seen his father delay Maghrib while on a journey and Salim replied, "One time the sun set when we were at Dhat al-Jaysh and he prayed Maghrib at al-'Aqiq*."

* It is twelve miles between al-'Aqiq and Dhat al-Jaysh.

Circumstances in which the Prayer has to be Shortened

11.Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi' that 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar, began to shorten the prayer at Dhu'l-Hulayfa when he left for hajj or 'umra.

12.Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Salim ibn 'Abdullah that his father rode for some distance and shortened the prayer on the journey.

Malik said, "That was about four mail-stages." (approximately forty-eight miles).

13.Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi' from Salim ibn 'Abdullah that 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar rode to Dhat an-Nusub and shortened the prayer on the journey.

Malik said, "There are four mail-stages between Dhat an-Nusub and Madina."

14.Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi' from Ibn 'Umar that he used to travel to Khaybar* and would shorten the prayer.

* Ninety-six miles from Madina.

15.Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Salim ibn 'Abdullah that 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar used to shorten the prayer when he travelled for a whole day.

61.Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi' that he used to travel one mail-stage with Ibn 'Umar and he would not shorten the prayer.

17.Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas used to shorten the prayer when he travelled a distance equivalent to that between Makka and Ta'if, and that between Makka and 'Usfan, and that between Makka and Jidda.

Malik said, "That is four mail-stages, and to me that is the most preferable distance for shortening the prayer."

Malik said, "The one who intends to travel does not shorten the prayer until he has left the houses of the settlement. And he does not do it in full until he reaches the first houses of his place of destination, or is nearby."

The prayer of a traveller when undecided whether to remain in a place or not

18.Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Salim ibn 'Abdullah that 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar used to say, "I pray the prayer of a traveller as long as I am undecided whether to remain somewhere or not, even if I am detained for twelve nights."

19.Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi' that Ibn 'Umar stayed in Makka for ten nights, shortening the prayer, except when he prayed it behind an imam, in which case he followed the imam's prayer.

Doing the full prayer when one decides to remain in a place

20.Yahya related to me from Malik from 'Ata' al-Khurasani that he heard Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab say, "A traveller who has decided to remain somewhere for four nights does the prayer in full."

Malik said, "That is what I prefer most out of what I have heard."

Malik when asked about the prayer of a prisoner, said, "It is the same as the prayer of a person who remains in one place, except if he is travelling."

The Prayer of a Traveller when Imam, or Behind an Imam

21.Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Salim ibn 'Abdullah from his father that when 'Umar ibn al-Khattab went to Makka, he used to lead them in prayer and do two rak'ats and then say, "People of Makka, complete the prayer. We are a group who are travelling."

22.Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi' that 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar used to pray four rak'ats behind the imam at Mina, and when he prayed by himself he would pray two rak'ats.

23.Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab that Safwan said, "'Abdullah ibn 'Umar used to come and visit 'Abdullah ibn Safwan and he would pray two rak'ats with us, and when he finished we would stand and complete the prayer."

Voluntary Prayers while Travelling, by Day and at Night, and Praying on a Riding Beast

24.Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi' that 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar never used to pray any prayer besides the fard prayer, either before it or after it, while travelling, except in the depths of the night. He would pray on the ground or on his mount, whichever way it was facing.

25.Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that al-Qasim ibn Muhammad and 'Urwa ibn az-Zubayr and Abu Bakr ibn 'Abd ar-Rahman used to pray nawafil prayers when travelling.

26.Yahya related to me that Malik said. "I have heard from Nafi' that 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar used to see his son, 'Ubaydullah ibn 'Abdullah, doing voluntary prayers on a journey and he would not disapprove of it."

27.Yahya related to me from Malik from 'Amr ibn Yahya al-Mazini from Abu'l-Hubab Sa'id ibn Yasar that 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar said, "I saw the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, praying on a donkey while heading towards Khaybar."

28.Yahya related to me from Malik from 'Abdullah ibn Dinar from 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to pray on his mount while travelling, whichever way it was facing.

'Abdullah ibn Dinar said, "'Abdullah ibn 'Umar would also do that."

29.Yahya related to me from Malik that Yahya ibn Sa'id said, "I saw Anas ibn Malik on a journey praying on a donkey facing away from the qibla. He did the rak'at and the sajda by motioning with his head without putting his face on anything."

The Duha Prayer

30.Yahya related to me from Malik from Musa ibn Maysara from Abu Murra, the mawla of 'Aqil ibn Abi Talib, that Umm Hani bint Abi Talib told him that in the Year of the Conquest the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, prayed eight rak'ats, covering himself with one garment.

31.Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'n-Nadr, the mawla of 'Umar ibn 'Ubaydullah, that Abu Murra, the mawla of 'Aqil ibn Abi Talib, told him that he heard Umm Hani bint Abi Talib say, "I went to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in the Year of the Conquest and found him doing ghusl while his daughter, Fatima, was screening him with a garment. I said to him, 'Peace be upon you' and he asked, 'Who is that?' I replied, 'Umm Hani bint Abi Talib,' and he said, 'Welcome, Umm Hani!' When he had finished his ghusl, he stood and prayed eight rak'ats, covering himself with one garment, and then came away. I said, 'Messenger of Allah, the son of my mother, 'Ali, says that he is determined to kill so-and-so, son of Hubayra, a man I have placed under my protection.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'We give protection to whoever you have given protection to, Umm Hani.' "

Umm Hani related that this incident happened in the morning.

32.Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from 'Urwa ibn az-Zubayr that 'A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'I never once saw the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, doing the voluntary prayer of Duha, but I myself would do it. Sometimes the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, would refrain from a practice that he loved to do, fearing that people would do the same and it would become obligatory (fard) for them."

33.Yahya related to me from Malik from Zayd ibn Aslam from 'A'isha that she used to pray Duha with eight rak'as, and she would say,"I would never stop doing them even if my parents were to be brought back to life."

General Remarks about the Voluntary Prayer of Duha

34.Yahya related to me from Malik from Ishaq ibn 'Abdullah ibn Abi Talha from Anas ibn Malik that his grandmother, Mulayka, invited the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, for food and he ate some of it. Then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Get up and I will lead you in prayer."

Anas said, "I stood up and took a woven mat belonging to us that had become black through long use and sprinkled it with water, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, stood on it. The orphan and I formed a row behind him, and the old woman stood behind us. He prayed two rak'ats with us and then left."

35.Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab that 'Ubaydullah ibn 'Abdullah ibn 'Utba said, "I visited 'Umar ibn al-Khattab just before noon and found him praying a voluntary prayer, so I stood behind him, but he pulled me nearer and put me next to him on his right hand side, and then Yarfa came and I moved back and we formed a row behind him."

Warning against Passing in Front of a Person Praying

36.Yahya related to me from Malik from Zayd ibn Aslam from 'Abd ar-Rahman ibn Abi Sa'id al-Khudri from his father that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Do not let anyone pass in front of you when you are praying. Repel him as much as you can, and, if he refuses, fight him, for he is only a shaytan."

37.Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'n-Nadr, the mawla of 'Umar ibn 'Ubaydullah, from Busr ibn Sa'id that Zayd ibn Khalid al-Juhani sent him to Abu Juhaym to ask him what he had heard from the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, about passing in front of someone praying. Abu Juhaym said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "If the person passing in front of a man praying knew what he was incurring, he would find it preferable to wait forty rather than pass in front of him."

Abu'n-Nadr said, "I do not know whether he said forty days or months or years."

38.Yahya related to me from Malik from Zayd ibn Aslam from 'Ata' ibn Yasar that Ka'b al-Ahbar said, "If the person who passed in front of a man praying knew what he was bringing on himself, it would seem better to him to sink into the ground than to pass in front of him."

39.Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar used to disapprove of passing in front of women while they were praying.

40.Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi' that 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar would neither pass in front of anyone nor let anyone pass in front of him.

Permission to Pass in Front of Someone Praying

41.Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from 'Ubaydullah ibn 'Abdullah ibn 'Utba ibn Mas'ud that 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas said, "I came riding up on a donkey while the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was leading the people in prayer at Mina, and I was at that time nearing puberty. I passed in front of part of the row, dismounted, sent the donkey off to graze, and then joined the row, and no one rebuked me for doing so."

42.Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that Sa'id ibn Abi Waqqas used to pass in front of some of the rows while the prayer was in progress.

Malik said, "I consider that it is permissible to do that if the iqama for the prayer has been said and the imam has said the initial takbir and a man cannot find any way into the mosque except by going between the rows."

43.Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that 'Ali ibn Abi Talib said, "Things that pass in front of a man praying do not break his prayer."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Salim ibn 'Abdullah that 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar used to say, "Things that pass in front of a man praying do not break his prayer."

The Sutra of a Traveller Praying

44.Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar would use the animal he was riding as a sutra when he prayed.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn 'Urwa that his father used to pray in the desert without a sutra.

Brushing Away Small Stones in the Prayer

45.Yahya related to me from Malik that Abu Ja'far al-Qari said, "I saw 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar quickly brush away the small stones from the place where he was going to put his forehead as he was going down into sajda."

46.Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Sa'id that he had heard that Abu Dharr used to say, "Brush away the small stones with one sweep, but leaving them is better than a red camel."

Straightening the Rows

47.Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi' that 'Umar ibn al-Khattab used to order the rows to be straightened, and when they had come to him and told him that the rows were straight, then he would say the takbir.

48.Yahya related to me from Malik from his paternal uncle, Abu Suhayl ibn Malik, that his father said, "I was with 'Uthman ibn 'Affan when the iqama was said for the prayer and I was talking to him about being assigned a definite allowance by him. I continued talking to him while he was levelling some small stones with his sandals, and then some men that he had entrusted to straighten the rows came and told him that the rows were straight. He said, to me, 'Line up in the row,' and then he said the takbir."

Placing One Hand on the Other in the Prayer

49.Yahya related to me from Malik that 'Abd al-Karim ibn Abi'l-Mukhariq al-Basri said, "Among things the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said and did are: 'As long as you do not feel ashamed, do whatever you wish', the placing of one hand on the other in prayer (one places the right hand on the left), being quick to break the fast, and delaying the meal before dawn."

50.Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu Hazim ibn Dinar that Sahl ibn Sa'd said, "People used to be ordered to place their right hands on their left forearms in the prayer."

Abu Hazim added, "I know for sure that Sahl traces that back to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace."

Qunut in the Subh Prayer

51.Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi' that 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar did not say qunut in any of the prayers.

Prohibition against a man praying when wishing to relieve himself

52.Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn 'Urwa from his father that 'Abdullah ibn al-Arqam used to lead his companions in prayer. The time for prayer came one day and he went to relieve himself. When he returned, he said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, 'If you wish to defecate, you should do so before the prayer.'"

53.Yahya related to me from Malik from Zayd ibn Aslam that 'Umar ibn al-Khattab said, "You should not pray while you are holding your bowels."

Waiting for the Prayer and Walking to it

54.Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'z-Zinad from al-A'raj from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "The angels ask for blessings on each one of you as long as he is in the place where he has prayed and has not broken wudu', saying, 'Allah, forgive him. Allah have mercy on him.'"

Malik said, "I do not consider that his words, 'has not discharged anything' refer to anything other than the discharges that break wudu'." 55.Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'z-Zinad from al-A'raj from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "You are in prayer as long as the prayer detains you and there is nothing that prevents you from returning to your family except the prayer."

56.Yahya related to me from Malik from Sumayy, the mawla of Abu Bakr, that Abu Bakr ibn 'Abd ar-Rahman used to say, "Someone who goes to the mosque in the morning or the afternoon with no intention of going anywhere else, either to learn good or teach it, is like someone who does jihad in the way of Allah and returns with booty."

57.Yahya related to me from Malik from Nu'aym ibn 'Abdullah al-Mujmir that he heard Abu Hurayra say, "If any one of you prays and then sits down in the spot where he has prayed, the angels ask blessings on him saying, 'Allah, forgive him. Allah, have mercy on him.' And if he moves from the spot where he has prayed and sits elsewhere in the mosque waiting for the prayer, he remains in prayer until he prays."

58.Yahya related to me from Malik from al-'Ala' ibn 'Abd ar-Rahman ibn Ya'qub from his father from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Shall I tell you the things by which Allah erases wrong actions and by which He raises ranks: the complete and correct performance of wudu' in adverse conditions, a great number of steps towards the mosque, and waiting after one prayer for the next prayer. That is the firm handhold, that is the firm handhold, that is the firm handhold."

59.Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab said, "It is said that no one except a hypocrite leaves the mosque after the call to prayer, except for someone who intends to return."

60.Yahya related to me from Malik from 'Amir ibn 'Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr from 'Amr ibn Sulaym az-Zuraqi from Abu Qatada al-Ansari that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "When you enter the mosque, you should pray two rak'ats before you sit down."

61.Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'n-Nadr, the mawla of 'Umar ibn 'Ubaydullah, that Abu Salama ibn 'Abd ar-Rahman asked him, "Didn't I see your master sit down before praying after he had entered the mosque?"

Abu'n-Nadr said, "By that he meant 'Umar ibn 'Ubaydullah, and he was finding fault with him for sitting down before praying after he had come into the mosque."

Yahya said that Malik said, "It is good to do that but not obligatory."

Placing the Hands Flat on the Surface by the Face in Prostration

62.Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi' that 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar used to place his palms flat on the surface where he put his forehead. Nafi' said, "I have seen him take his hands out from under his burnous on a very cold day and place them on the ground."

63.Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi' that 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar used to say, "When any of you puts his forehead on the ground he should put his palms on the surface on which he puts his forehead. Then, when he rises, he should raise them, for the hands prostrate just as the face prostrates."

Turning and Clapping when Necessary during the Prayer

64.Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu Hazim Salama ibn Dinar from Sahl ibn Sa'id as-Sa'idi that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, went to the tribe of Banu 'Amr ibn 'Awf to settle their disputes. The time for the prayer came and the mu'adhdhin came to Abu Bakr as-Siddiq and asked, "Could you lead the people in prayer and I will say the iqama?" He said, "Yes", and Abu Bakr started to pray. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, arrived while the people were doing the prayer and went through until he was standing in the row. People clapped, but Abu Bakr did not turn round from his prayer. When the people increased their clapping, he turned and saw the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, indicated to him to stay in his place. Abu Bakr raised his hands and praised Allah that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had told him to do that. Then he drew back until he was in the row, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, stepped forward and led the prayer. When he had finished he said, "Abu Bakr, what stopped you from staying put like I told you?" Abu Bakr said, "It is not for Ibn Abi Quhafa to pray in front of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace."

The Messenger of Alllah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Why did I see you all clapping so much? If something happens while you are in the prayer you should say 'Subhanallah' (Glory be to Allah), and when you say Subhanallah, attention will be paid to you. Clapping is for women." 65.Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi' that Ibn 'Umar would never turn around when praying.

66.Yahya related to me from Malik that Abu Ja'far al-Qari said, "I was praying, and 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar was behind me and I was not aware of it. Then I turned round and he prodded me (in disapproval)."

Joining the prayer while the Imam is in Ruku'

67.Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab that Abu Umama ibn Sahl ibn Hunayf said, "Zayd ibn Thabit entered the mosque and found the people in ruku', so he went into ruku' and then moved slowly forward until he reached the row."

68.Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud used to move forward while in ruku'.

The prayer on the Prophet, May Allah Bless Him and Grant Him Peace

69.Yahya related to me from Malik from 'Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr ibn Hazim from his father that 'Amr ibn Sulaym az-Zuraqi said, "Abu Humayd as-Sa'idi told me that they asked the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, how they were to ask for blessings upon him and he replied that they should say, 'O Allah, bless Muhammad and his wives and his descendants as You blessed the family of Ibrahim, and grant blessing to Muhammad and his wives and his descendants as You granted blessing to the family of Ibrahim. You are worthy of Praise and Glorious.'"

70.Yahya related to me from Malik from Nu'aym ibn 'Abdullah al-Mujmir that Muhammad ibn 'Abdullah ibn Zayd told him that Abu Mas'ud al-Ansari said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came to us at the gathering of Sa'd ibn 'Ubada. Bashir ibn Sa'd said to him, 'Allah has ordered us to ask for blessings on you, Messenger of Allah. How should we do it?' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, remained silent until we wished we had not asked him. Then he told us to say, 'O Allah, bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad as You blessed Ibrahim, and grant blessing to Muhammad and the family of Muhammad as You granted blessing to the family of Ibrahim in all the worlds .You are worthy of Praise and Glorious,' and then give the taslim as you have learnt."

71.Yahya related to me from Malik that 'Abdullah ibn Dinar said, "I saw 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar stop by the grave of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and ask for blessings on the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and on Abu Bakr and 'Umar."

How to Do the Prayer in General

72.Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi' from Ibn 'Umar that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to pray two rak'as before Dhuhr and two rak'as after it, two rak'as after Maghrib, in his house, and two rak'as after 'Isha'. He did not pray after Jumu'a until he had left the mosque, and then he prayed two rak'as.

73.Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'z-Zinad from al-A'raj from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Do you see the direction I am facing here? By Allah, neither your humbleness nor your ruku' is hidden from me. I can see you behind my back."

74.Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi' from 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar that when the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to go to Quba (to pray), he would walk as well as ride.

75.Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Sa'id from an-Nu'man ibn Murra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "What about drunkenness, stealing and adultery?" That was before anything had been revealed about them. They said, "Allah and His Messenger know best." He said, "They are excesses and in them is a punishment. And the worst of thieves is the one who steals his prayer." They said, "How can someone steal his prayer, Messenger of Allah?" He replied, "By not performing ruku' or sajda properly."

76.Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn 'Urwa from his father that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Perform some of the prayers in your houses."

77.Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi' that 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar used to say, "When a sick man is unable to prostrate he should motion with his head and not raise anything to his forehead."

78.Yahya related to me from Malik from Rabi'a ibn Abi 'Abd ar-Rahman that if 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar arrived at the mosque and the people had already prayed, he would begin with the obligatory prayer and not pray anything before it.

79.Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi' that 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar passed by a man who was praying and said, "Peace be upon you," and the man replied to him. 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar returned to him and said, "When someone says, 'Peace be upon you' to you while you are praying do not reply, but give a signal with your hand."

80.Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi' that 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar used to say, "Someone who only remembers that he has forgotten a prayer when he is praying the next prayer behind an imam should pray the prayer he has forgotten after the imam has said the taslim and then pray the other one again."

81.Yahya related to me from Malik from Ya hya ibn Sa'id from Muhammad ibn Yahya ibn Habban that his paternal uncle, Wasi' ibn Habban, said, "I was praying, and 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar was resting his back against the wall of the qibla. When I had finished the prayer I turned towards him on my left-hand side. 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar said, 'What stopped you from turning away to your right?' I replied, 'I saw you and turned towards you.' 'Abdullah said, 'You have spoken correctly. People say that you should turn away to your right, but when you pray you can turn whichever way you wish. If you like, to your right, and if you like, to your left."

82.Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn 'Urwa from his father that one of the Muhajirun in whom he saw no harm asked 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'As, "Can I pray in a place where camels are watered?" 'Abdullah replied, "No, but you can pray in a sheep-pen."

83.Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab that Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab asked, "In which prayer do you remain in the sitting position in every rak'at?" Sa'id replied, "It is Maghrib when you miss one rak'at, and that is the sunna in all the prayers."

Prayer in General

84.Yahya related to me from Malik from 'Amir ibn 'Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr from 'Amr ibn Sulaym az-Zuraqi from Abu Qatada al-Ansari that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to pray carrying Umama, the daughter of Zaynab, the daughter of the Messenger of Allah, and Abu'l-'As ibn Rabi'a ibn 'Abd Shams. When he prostrated, he put her down . When he stood up, he lifted her up again.

85.Yahya related to me from Abu'z-Zinad from al-A'raj from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "There are angels which take turns in being with you in the night and other angels in the day and they meet together at the prayers of 'Asr and Fajr prayers. Then the ones who were with you during the night ascend and Allah asks them - although He knows better than they do - 'How were My slaves when you left them?' They say, 'When we left them they were praying and when we came to them, they were praying.'"

86.Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn 'Urwa from his father from 'A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Tell Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer." 'A'isha said, "Messenger of Allah, when Abu Bakr stands in your place his voice does not reach the ears of the people because of his weeping, so tell 'Umar to lead the people in prayer." He said, "Tell Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer."

'A'isha continued, "I told Hafsa to tell him that when Abu Bakr stood in his place his voice did not reach the ears of the people because of his weeping, and that he should tell 'Umar to lead the people in prayer. Hafsa did so, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'You are the companions of Yusuf! (referring to the women who cut their hands when they saw the beauty of Yusuf thereby displaying their hidden opposition). Tell Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer!'"

'A'isha added that Hafsa said to her, "I have never had anything good from you!"

87.Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from 'Ata' ibn Yazid al-Laythi that 'Ubaydullah ibn 'Adi ibn al-Khiyar said, "Once when the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was sitting with some people, a man came to him and spoke secretly to him. Nobody knew what he had said until the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, disclosed that he had asked for permission to kill one of the hypocrites. When he disclosed this, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'Does he not testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah?' The man replied, 'Of course, but he hasn't really done so.' He said, 'Does he not do the prayer?' and the man replied, 'Of course, but he doesn't really do the prayer.' He said, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, 'Those are the ones whom Allah has forbidden me (to kill).' "

88.Yahya related to me from Malik from Zayd ibn Aslam from 'Ata' ibn Yasar that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "O Allah! Do not make my grave an idol that is worshipped. The anger on those who took the graves of their Prophets as places of prostration was terrible."

89.Yahya related to me from Malik from ibn Shihab from Mahmud ibn Rabi' al-Ansari that 'Itban ibn Malik, who was a blind man, used to lead his people in prayer, and he said to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, "Sometimes it is dark and rainy and there is a lot of water around outside, and I am a man who has lost his sight. Messenger of Allah, pray in a certain place in my house so that I can take it as a place to pray." The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came to him and said, "Where would you like me to pray?" He indicated a place to him and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, prayed there.

90.Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from 'Abbad ibn Tamim from his paternal uncle that he saw the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, lying down in the mosque with one foot on top of the other.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab that 'Umar ibn al-Khattab and 'Uthman ibn 'Affan, may Allah be pleased with them, useed to do the same.

91.Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Sa'id that 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud said to a certain man, "You are in a time when men of understanding (fuqaha') are many and Qur'an reciters are few, when the hudud defined in the Qur'an are guarded and its letters are neglected, when few people ask and many give, when they make the prayer long and the khutba short, and put their actions before their desires. A time will come upon people when their fuqaha' are few but their Qur'an reciters are many, when the letters of the Qur'an are guarded carefully but its hudud are neglected, when many ask but few give, when they make the khutba long but the prayer short, and put their desires before their actions."

92.Yahya related to me from Malik that Yahya ibn Sa'id said, "I have heard that the first of the actions of a slave to be considered on the day of rising is the prayer. If it is accepted from him the rest of his actions will be considered, and if it is not accepted from him none of his actions will be considered."

93.Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn 'Urwa from his father that 'A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "The actions which the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, loved most were those which were done most constantly."

94.Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard from 'Amir ibn Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas that his father said, "There were two brothers, one of whom died forty nights before the other. The merit of the first was being mentioned in the presence of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he said, 'Was the other one not a Muslim?' They said, 'Of course, Messenger of Allah, and there was no harm in him.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'What will make you realise what his prayer has brought him? The prayer is like a deep river of sweet water running by your door into which you plunge five times a day. How much of your dirtiness do you think that will leave? You do not realise what his prayer has brought him.'"

95.Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that if anyone passed by 'Ata' ibn Yasar in the mosque with something to trade, he would call him and ask, "What is the matter with you? What do you want?" If the man said that he wished to trade with him, he would say, "You need the market of this world. This is the market of the next world."

96.Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that 'Umar ibn al-Khattab set aside an area near the mosque called al-Butayha and said, "Whoever wishes to talk nonsense or recite poetry or raise his voice should go to this area."

Stimulation of the Desire for Prayer in General

97.Yahya related to me from Malik from his paternal uncle Abu Suhayl ibn Malik that his father heard Talha ibn 'Ubaydullah say, "Once one of the people of Najd came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. He had dishevelled hair and although his voice could be heard we could not make out what he was saying until he drew nearer and then we found he was asking about Islam. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to him, 'There are five prayers during the day and the night.' He said, 'Do I have to do anything else besides that?' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, added, 'And fasting the month of Ramadan.' He said, 'Is there anything else I have to do?' He said, 'No, except what you do of your own accord.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, mentioned zakat. The man said, 'Is there anything else that I have to do?' He said, 'No, except what you do of your own accord.'

He continued, "The man went away saying, 'By Allah, I won't do any more than this, nor will I do any less.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'That man will be successful if he is telling the truth.'"

98.Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'z-Zinad from al-A'raj from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Shaytan ties three knots at the back of your head when you sleep, and he seals the place of each knot with 'You have a long night ahead, so sleep.' If you wake up and remember Allah, a knot is untied. If you do wudu', a knot is untied. If you pray, a knot is untied, and morning finds you lively and in good spirits, and if not, morning finds you in bad spirits and lazy."

1. Yahya related to me from Malik from Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir from Sa'id ibn al-Jubayr that a man who has approval (as a relater of hadith), told him that 'A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "If a man prays in the night and sleep overcomes him during it, Allah writes for him the reward of his prayer, and his sleep is sadaqa for him."

2. Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'n-Nadr, the mawla of 'Umar ibn 'Ubaydullah, from Abu Salama ibn 'Abd ar-Rahman that 'A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "I used to sleep directly in front of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and my legs were in his qibla. When he prostrated, he would nudge me and I would pull up my legs. When he stood up, I stretched them out again." She added, "In those days there were no lamps in the houses."

3. Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn 'Urwa from his father from 'A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "When one of you nods off while he is praying, he should go and lie down until he is no longer sleepy. If someone prays when he is drowsy, he may not know whether he is asking for forgiveness or asking for something bad for himself."

4. Yahya related to me from Malik from Isma'il from Ibn Abi Hakim that he had heard that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, heard a woman praying at night. He said, "Who is that?" and someone said to him, "It is al-Hawla bint Tuwayt. She does not sleep in the night." The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, disapproved of that and his disapproval showed in his face. Then he said, "Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, does not become weary, but you become weary. Take on whatever is within your capability."

5. Yahya related to me from Malik from Zayd ibn Aslam from his father that 'Umar ibn al-Khattab used to pray as much as Allah willed in the night until at the end of the night he would wake his family for the prayer. He used to say to them, "The prayer, the prayer." Then he would recite the ayat, "Command your family to pray, and be constant in it. We do not ask you for provision. We provide for you. And the best end result is gained by taqwa." (20:132)

6. Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab used to say, "Sleep is disapproved of before 'Isha' as is conversation after it."

7. Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar used to say, "(Voluntary) prayer in both the day and night is two at a time with a taslim after every rak'at."

Malik said, "That is the custom among us."

How the Prophet Prayed the Witr

8. Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from 'Urwa ibn az-Zubayr from 'A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to pray eleven rak'ats in the night, making them odd with a single one, and when he had finished he lay down on his right side.

9. Yahya related to me from Malik from Sa'id ibn Abi Sa'id al-Maqburi from Abu Salama ibn 'Abd ar-Rahman ibn 'Awf that he asked 'A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, what the prayer of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was like during Ramadan. She said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, did not exceed eleven rak'ats in Ramadan or at any other time. He prayed four - do not ask me about their beauty or length. Then he prayed another four - do not ask me about their beauty and length. Then he prayed three."

'A'isha continued, "I said, 'Messenger of Allah, do you sleep before you do the witr?' He said, 'A'isha, my eyes sleep but my heart does not sleep.'"

10. Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn 'Urwa from his father that 'A'isha, Umm al-Muminin said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to pray thirteen rak'ats in the night and then would pray two rak'ats when he heard the adhan for the Subh prayer."

11. Yahya related to me from Malik from Makhrama ibn Sulayman from Kurayb, the mawla of Ibn 'Abbas, that 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas told him that he had spent a night at the house of Maimuna, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, who was also Ibn 'Abbas' mother's sister. Ibn 'Abbas said, "I lay down with my head on the breadth of the cushion, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and his wife lay down with their heads on its length. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, slept, until, halfway through the night or a little before or after it, he awoke and sat up and wiped the sleep away from his face with his hand. Then he recited the last ten ayats of Sura Ali 'Imran (sura 3). Then he got up and went over to a water-skin which was hanging up and did wudu from it, doing his wudu' thoroughly, and then he stood in prayer."

Ibn 'Abbas continued, "I stood up and did the same and then went and stood by his side. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, put his right hand on my head and took my right ear and tweaked it. He prayed two rak'as, then two rak'ats, then two rak'ats, then two rak'ats, then two rak'ats, then two rak'ats, and then prayed an odd rak'at. Then he lay down until the mu'adhdhin came to him, and then prayed two quick rak'ats, and went out and prayed Subh."

12. Yahya related to me from Malik from 'Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr from his father that 'Abdullah ibn Qays ibn Makhrama told him that Zayd ibn Khalid al-Juhani said one night that he had gone to observe the prayer of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. He said, "I rested my head on his threshold. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, got up and prayed two long, long, long rak'ats. Then he prayed two rak'ats which were slightly less long than the two before them. Then he prayed two rak'ats which were slightly less long than the two before them. Then he prayed two rak'ats which were slightly less long than the two before them. Then he prayed two rak'ats which were slightly less long than the two before them. Then he prayed two rak'ats which were slightly less long than the two before them. Then he prayed an odd rak'at, making thirteen rak'ats in all."

The Command to Pray the Witr

13. Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi' and 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar that a man asked the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, about night prayers. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Night prayers are two by two, and when you are afraid that dawn is approaching, then pray one rak'at as witr to make what you have prayed odd."

14. Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Sa'id from Muhammad ibn Yahya ibn Habban from Ibn Muhayriz that a man from the Kinana tribe called al-Mukhdaji heard a man in Syria known as Abu Muhammad saying, "The witr is obligatory (fard)." Al-Mukhdaji said, "I went to 'Ubada ibn as-Samit and presented myself to him as he was going to the mosque, and told him what Abu Muhammad had said. 'Ubada said that Abu Muhammad had lied and that he had heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, 'Allah the Majestic and Mighty has written five prayers for mankind, and whoever does them and does not waste anything of them by making light of what is due to them, there is a pact for him with Allah that He will admit him into the Garden. Whoever does not do them, there is no pact for him with Allah. If He wishes, He punishes him, and if He wishes, He admits him into the Garden.' "

15. Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu Bakr ibn 'Umar that Sa'id ibn Yasar said, "I was travelling with 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar on the road to Makka, and fearing that it was nearly dawn I dismounted, prayed the witr and then caught up with him. 'Abdullah said, 'Do you not have a good enough example in the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace?' I said, 'Of course, by Allah!' He said, 'The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to pray the witr on his camel.'"

16. Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Sa'id that Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab said, "Abu Bakr as-Siddiq used to pray the witr when he wished to go to bed, and 'Umar ibn al-Khattab used to pray the witr at the end of the night. As for me, I pray the witr when I go to bed."

17. Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that a man asked 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar whether the witr was obligatory and 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar replied, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, prayed the witr, and the Muslims prayed the witr." The man began repeating his question, and 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar kept saying, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, prayed the witr, and the Muslims prayed the witr."

18. Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that 'A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to say, "If someone fears that he will sleep through till the morning, let him pray the witr before he goes to sleep, and if someone hopes to wake for the last part of the night, let him delay his witr."

19. Yahya related to me from Malik that Nafi' said, "I was with 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar in Makka. The sky was clouded over and 'Abdullah was worried that dawn was approaching so he prayed one rak'a for witr. Then the clouds cleared and he saw that it was still night, so he made his prayers even by praying one rak'a. Then he continued to pray two rak'ats at a time until, fearing that dawn was approaching, he prayed one rak'a for witr."

20. Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi' that 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar used to say the taslim between the two rak'as and the one rak'a of witr so that he could ask for something he needed.

21. Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab that Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas used to pray witr after 'Isha' with one rak'a.

Malik said, "This is not the practice with us. Rather three is the minimum for witr."

22. Yahya related to me from Malik from 'Abdullah ibn Dinar that 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar used to say, "The Maghrib prayer is the witr of the daytime prayers."

Malik said, "If someone prays the witr at the beginning of the night and goes to sleep and then wakes up and it seems good to him to pray, let him pray - two rak'ats at a time. That is what I like most of what I have heard."

Praying the Witr After The Break of Dawn

23. Yahya related to me from Malik from 'Abd al-Karm ibn Abi'l-Mukhariq al-Basri from Sa'id ibn Jubayr that 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas went to sleep, and when he woke up, he said to his servant, "Go and see what the people have done," (by that time his sight had gone.) The servant went out and returned saying, "The people have left from Subh," so 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas got up and prayed the witr and then prayed Subh.

24. Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas and 'Ubada ibn as-Samit and al-Qasim ibn Muhammad and 'Abdullah ibn 'Amir ibn Rabi'a had all prayed the witr after the break of dawn.

25. Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn 'Urwa from his father that 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud said, "I do not mind if the iqama for the Subh prayer is called while I am still praying the witr."

26. Yahya related to me from Malik that Yahya ibn Sa'id said, "'Ubada ibn as-Samit used to lead the people in prayer. One day he came out for Subh and the mu'adhdhin began to give the iqama for the Subh prayer. 'Ubada silenced him, prayed the witr and then led them in Subh."

27. Yahya related to me from Malik that 'Abd ar-Rahman ibn al-Qasim said, "I heard 'Abdullah ibn 'Amir ibn Rabi'a say, 'I sometimes pray the witr while hearing the iqama or after the break of dawn.'" 'Abd ar-Rahman was not certain which he said.

Malik said, "Only a person who oversleeps so that he has not done the witr prays it after dawn. No one should intentionally do his witr after dawn."

The Two Rak'ats of Fajr

29. Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi' from 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar that Hafsa, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, told him that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to pray two quick rak'as after the mu'adhdhin had finished the adhan for the Subh prayer before the iqama was said for the prayer.

30. Malik related to me from Yahya ibn Sa'id that 'A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to pray the two rak'as of the dawn (fajr) so quickly that I would ask myself whether he had recited the Umm al-Qur'an or not.'"

31. Yahya related to me from Malik from Sharik ibn 'Abdullah ibn Abi Namir that Abu Salama ibn 'Abd ar-Rahman said, "Some people heard the iqama and started to pray. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came out and said, 'Are you doing two prayers at the same time? Are you doing two prayers at the same time?' That was about the Subh prayer and the two rak'ats before Subh."

32. Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar missed the two rak'as of dawn and then prayed them after the sun had risen.

33. Yahya related to me from Malik from 'Abd ar-Rahman ibn al-Qasim that al-Qasim ibn Muhammad had done the same as Ibn 'Umar.

1. Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Abu Salama ibn 'Abd ar-Rahman ibn 'Awf from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "When one of you stands in prayer, Shaytan comes to him and confuses him until he does not know how much he has prayed. When one of you experiences that, he should do two sajdas from the sitting position."

2. Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "I forget or I am made to forget in order that I may establish the sunna."

3. Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that a man questioned al-Qasim ibn Muhammad saying, "My imagination gets carried away in the prayer, and it happens to me a lot." Al-Qasim ibn Muhammad said, "Go on with your prayer, for it will not leave you alone until you go away saying, 'I have not completed my prayer.'"

1. Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi' from 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Prayer in a group is twenty-seven times better than the prayer of a man by himself."

2. Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Prayer in a group is twenty five degrees times better than the prayer of one of you on his own."

3. Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'z-Zinad from al-A'raj from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "By Him in Whose hand my soul is, I seriously considered ordering someone to collect firewood, ordering the prayer be called, appointing a man to lead the prayer and then coming up behind certain men and burning their houses down about them! By Him in whose hand my soul is, if any of them had known they would find a meaty bone or two good hooves, they would have attended 'Isha'."

4. Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'n-Nadr, the mawla of 'Umar ibn 'Ubaydullah, from Yusr ibn Sa'id that Zayd ibn Thabit said, "The most excellent prayer is your prayer in your house, except for the prescribed prayers."

The 'Isha' and Subh Prayers 5. Yahya related to me from Malik from 'Abd ar-Rahman ibn Harmala al-Aslami from Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "What separates us from the hypocrites is being present at 'Isha ' and Subh. They cannot do it," or words to that effect.

6. Yahya related to me from Malik from Sumayy, the mawla of Abu Bakr ibn 'Abd ar-Rahman from Abu Salih from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "If a man who is walking along a road finds a branch of thorns on the road and removes it, Allah thanks him for doing it and forgives him."

He also said, "Martyrs are five: the one killed by a plague, the one killed by a disease of the belly, the one who drowns, the one killed by a collapsing building and the martyr in the path of Allah."

He also said, "If people knew what there was in the call to prayer and the first row, and they could find no other way except to draw lots for it, they would draw lots for it. And if they knew what there was in doing Dhuhr at its time, they would race each other to it. And if they knew what there was in the prayers of 'Isha 'and Subh, they would come to them even if they had to crawl."

7. Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Abu Bakr ibn Sulayman ibn Abi Hathma that 'Umar ibn al-Khattab missed Sulayman ibn Abi Hathma in the Subh prayer. In the morning he went to the market, and Sulayman's house was between the market and the Prophet's mosque. He passed ash-Shifa', Sulayman's mother, and said to her, "I did not see Sulayman at Subh." She replied, "He spent the night in prayer and sleep overcame him." 'Umar said, "I would rather be present at Subh than stand the whole night in prayer."

8. Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Sa'id from Muhammad ibn Ibrahim that 'Abd ar-Rahman ibn Abi 'Amra al-Ansari said that 'Uthman ibn 'Affan came to the 'Isha' prayer and seeing only a few people in the mosque, he lay down at the back of the mosque to wait for the number of people to increase. Ibn Abi 'Amra went and sat down beside him and 'Uthman asked him who he was, so he told him. 'Uthman said, "What have you memorised of the Qur'an?", and he told him. 'Uthman said, "If someone is present at 'Isha', it is as if he had stood in prayer for half a night, and if someone is present at Subh, it is as if he had stood in prayer for a whole night."

Repeating the Prayer with the Imam

9. Yahya related to me from Malik from Zayd ibn Aslam from a man of the Banu'd-Dil called Busr ibn Mihjan from his father, Mihjan, that he was in a gathering with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and the call to prayer was made. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, rose and prayed and then returned. Mihjan remained sitting and did not pray with him. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "What prevented you from praying with the people? Aren't you a Muslim?" He said, "Of course, Messenger of Allah, but I have already prayed with my family." The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "When you come, pray with the people, even if you have prayed already."

10. Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi' that a man asked 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar, "Sometimes I pray in my house and then catch the prayer with the imam, should I pray with him?" 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar said to him, "Yes," and the man said, "Which of them do I make my prayer?" 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar said, "Is that up to you? It is up to Allah. He will decide on whichever of them He wishes."

11. Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Sa'id that a man asked Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab, "I pray in my house and then I come to the mosque and find the imam praying, should I pray with him?" Sa'id said, "Yes", and the man said, "Which of them is my prayer?" Sa'id said, "Are you the one to decide that? That is up to Allah."

12. Yahya related to me from Malik from 'Afif as-Sahmi that a man from the tribe of Banu Asad asked Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, "Sometimes I pray in my house and then come to the mosque and find the imam praying, should I pray with him?" Abu Ayyub said, "Yes, pray with him, for someone who does so has the reward of the group or the equivalent of the reward of the group."

13. Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi' that 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar used to say, "Someone who prays Maghrib or Subh and then catches them with the imam should not repeat them."

Malik said, "I do not see any harm in someone who has already prayed in his house praying with the imam, except for Maghrib, because if he repeats it, he makes it even."

Praying in a Group of People

14. Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'z-Zinad from al-A'raj from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "When you lead people in the prayer, make it short, because there are among them some people who are weak, ill and old. But when you pray on your own, make it as long as you wish."

15. Yahya related to me from Malik that Nafi' said, "I stood behind 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar in one of the prayers when there was no one else with him, and he reached behind with his hand and placed me beside him."

16. Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Sa'id that a man used to lead the people in prayer in al-'Aqiq (a place near Madina), and 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz sent a message to him forbidding him to do so.

Malik said, "He only forbade him because his father was not known."

Prayer behind an Imam when He Prays Sitting

17. Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Anas ibn Malik that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, fell off his horse when riding, and his right side was grazed, so he did one of the prayers sitting, and we prayed behind him sitting. When he left he said, "The imam is appointed to be followed. If he prays standing, then pray standing, and when he goes into ruku', go into ruku', and when he rises, rise, and when he says, 'Allah hears whoever praises him,' say, 'Our Lord, praise belongs to You', and if he prays sitting, then all of you pray sitting."

18. Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn 'Urwa from his father that 'A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, when he prayed while he was ill, prayed sitting, and some people prayed behind him standing, and he indicated to them to sit down. When he left, he said, 'The imam is only appointed to be followed. When he goes into ruku', go into ruku' and when he rises, rise and if he prays sitting, pray sitting.'"

19. Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn 'Urwa from his father that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came out during his illness, and approached and found Abu Bakr standing, leading the people in prayer. Abu Bakr began to withdraw, but the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, indicated to him to stay where he was. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, sat by the side of Abu Bakr, and Abu Bakr prayed following the prayer of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, who was sitting, and the people prayed following the prayer of Abu Bakr.

The Excellence of Prayer Standing over Prayer Sitting

20. Yahya related to me from Malik from Isma'il ibn Muhammad ibn Sa'id ibn Abi Waqqas from a mawla of 'Amr ibn al-'As or of 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'As that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "The prayer of one of you sitting down is only equal to half the prayer of one of you when he is standing."

21. Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab that 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'As said, "When we arrived at Madina we were struck down by a severe epidemic which debilitated us greatly. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came out to the people while they were praying nawafil prayers sitting down. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'The prayer of the one sitting is equal to only half the prayer of the one standing.'"

Praying Voluntary Prayers (Nawafil)

22. Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from as-Sa'ib ibn Yazid from al-Muttalib ibn Abi Wada'a as-Sahmi that Hafsa, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "I never saw the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, praying nawafil sitting until a year before his death, when he began to pray them sitting. He would recite the sura with a measured slowness so that it would seem to be longer than other suras which were actually longer than it."

23. Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn 'Urwa from his father that 'A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, told him that she had never seen the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, doing night prayers sitting down until he was getting on in years. He would recite sitting down until when he wanted to go into ruku', he would stand up and recite about thirty or forty ayats and then go into ruku'.

24. Yahya related to me from Malik from 'Abdullah ibn Yazid al-Madani and from Abu'n-Nadr from Abu Salama ibn 'Abd ar-Rahman from 'A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to pray sitting. He would recite sitting, and then, when about thirty or forty ayats of what he was reciting remained, he would stand up and recite standing and then go into ruku' and sajda. He would do the same in the second rak'at.

25. Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that 'Urwa ibn az-Zubayr and Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab used to pray voluntary prayers sitting.

The Middle Prayer

26. Yahya related to me from Malik from Zayd ibn Aslam from al-Qa'qa' ibn Hakim that Abu Yunus, the mawla of 'A'isha, Umm al-Muminin, said, "'A'isha ordered me to write out a Qur'an for her. She said, 'When you reach this ayat, let me know, "Safeguard the prayer - especially the middle prayer. Stand in obedience to Allah." (2:238) 'When I reached it I told her, and she dictated to me, 'Safeguard the prayer - especially the middle prayer and the 'Asr prayer. Stand in obedience to Allah. ' 'A'isha said, 'I heard it from the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.'"

27. Yahya related to me from Malik from Zayd ibn Aslam that 'Amr ibn Rafi' said, "I was writing out a Qur'an for Hafsa, Umm al-Muminin, and she said, 'When you reach this ayat, let me know: "Safeguard the prayer - especially the middle prayer. Stand in obedience to Allah." (2:238) When I reached it I told her and she dictated to me, 'Safeguard the prayer - especially the middle prayer and the 'Asr prayer. Stand in obedience to Allah. '"

29. Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that 'Ali ibn Abi Talib and 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas used to say, "The middle prayer is the Subh prayer."

Malik said, "Out of all that I have heard about the matter, I prefer what 'Ali ibn Abi Talib and 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas said."

Permission to Pray in One Garment

30. Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn 'Urwa from his father that 'Umar ibn Abi Salama saw the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, praying in one garment in the house of Umm Salama. He was completely covered by it, and had put both ends crossed over his shoulders.

31. Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was asked about praying in one garment. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Do you all have two garments?"

32. Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab that Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab said that Abu Hurayra was asked, "May a man pray in one garment?" "Yes, " he replied. The man then asked him, "Do you do that?" and he answered, "Yes, I pray in one garment while my clothes are on the clothes-rack."

33. Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that Jabir ibn 'Abdullah used to pray in one garment.

34. Yahya related to me from Malik from Rabi'a ibn Abi 'Abd ar-Rahman that Muhammad ibn 'Amr ibn Hazm used to pray in a single long shirt.

35. Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard from Jabir ibn 'Abdullah that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Let anyone who cannot find two garments pray in one garment and wrap himself in it, and if the garment is short, let him wrap it around his waist."

Malik said, "In my view it is preferable for someone who prays in a single shirt to put a garment or a turban over his shoulders."

Permission for a Woman to Pray in a Shift and Head-Covering

36. Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that 'A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to pray in a shift and head-covering.

37. Yahya related to me from Malik from Muhammad ibn Zayd ibn Qunfudh that his mother asked Umm Salama, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, what clothes a woman could wear in the prayer. She said, "She can pray in a shift that reaches down and covers the top of her feet."

38. Yahya related to me from Malik from a reliable source from Bukayr ibn 'Abdullah ibn al-Ashajj from Busr ibn Sa'id that when 'Ubaydullah ibn al-Aswad al-Khawlani was in the room of Maymuna, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, she used to pray in a shift and head-covering, without a waist-wrapper.

39. Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn 'Urwa from his father that a woman asked him for a decision, saying, "Waist-wrappers are painful to me. Can I pray in a shift and head-covering?" He replied, "Yes, if the shift is long."

1. Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard more than one of their men of knowledge say, "There has been no adhan or iqama for the 'Id al-Fitr or the 'Id al-Adha since the time of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace."

Malik said, "That is the sunna and there is no disagreement about it among us."

2. Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi' that 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar used to do ghusl on the day of Fitr before going to the place of prayer.

The Order to Pray Before the Khutba on the Two 'Ids

3. Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to pray on the day of Fitr and the day of Adha before the khutba.

4. Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that Abu Bakr and 'Umar used to do that.

5. Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab that Abu 'Ubayd, the mawla of Ibn Azhar said, "I was present at one of the 'Ids with 'Umar ibn al-Khattab. He prayed, and then after he had prayed he gave a khutba to the people and said, 'The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, forbade fasting on these two days - the day you break your fast (after Ramadan), and the day you eat from your sacrifice (after the Hajj).' "

Abu 'Ubayd continued, "Then I was present at one of the 'Ids with 'Uthman ibn 'Affan. me and prayed, and when he had finished he gave a khutba and said, 'Two 'ids have been joined together for you on this day of yours. If any of the people of al-'Aliyya (the hills outlying Madina) want to wait for the Jumu'a they can do so, and if any of them want to return, I have given them permission.'

Abu 'Ubayd continued, "Then I was present at an 'Id with 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (at the time when 'Uthman was being detained). He came and prayed, and then after he had prayed he gave a khutba."

The Order to Eat Before Going Out on the Morning of the 'Id

6. Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn 'Urwa from his father that he used to eat on the day of the 'Id al-Fitr before going out.

7. Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab that Sa'id al-Musayyab told him that people used to be told to eat on the day of Fitr before setting out.

Malik said that he did not consider that people had to do that on the 'Id al-Adha.

The Takbirs and the Recitation in the Prayer of the Two 'Ids

8. Yahya related to me from Malik from Damra ibn Sa'id al-Mazini from 'Ubaydullah ibn 'Abdullah ibn 'Utba ibn Mas'ud that 'Umar ibn al-Khattab asked Abu Waqid al-Laythi what the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to recite in the prayers of Adha and Fitr. He said, "He used to recite Surat Qaf (50) and Surat al-Inshiqaq (84)." [In Muslim]

9. Yahya related to me from Malik that Nafi', the mawla of 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar said, "I attended Adha and Fitr with Abu Hurayra and he said 'Allah is greater' seven times in the first rak'at, before the recitation, and five times in the second, before the recitation."

[In Abu Dawud] Malik said, "That is the position with us."

9. Regarding a man who finds that people have finished the 'Id prayer, Malik said that he did not think that he had to pray either in the place where the prayer was performed nor in his house. If he does perform the prayer in the place or in his house, he did not see any harm in doing that. He says the takbir seven times in the first rak'at before the recitation and five times in the second before the recitation.

Refraining from Prayer Before and After the Two 'Id Prayers

10. Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi' that 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar did not pray either before the prayer or after it on the day of Fitr.

11. Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab used to go to the place of prayer after praying Subh, and before the sun rose.

Permission to Pray Before and After the Two 'Id Prayers

12. Yahya related to me from Malik from 'Abd ar-Rahman ibn al-Qasim that his father used to pray four rak'ats before he went to the place of prayer.

13. Yahya related to me from Hisham ibn 'Urwa that his father used to pray in the mosque on the day of Fitr before the prayer.

The Coming of the Imam on the Day of the 'Id and Waiting for the Khutba

14. Yahya related to me that Malik said, "The sunna concerning the time of prayer on the 'ids of Fitr and Adha - and there is no disagreement amongst us about it - is that the imam leaves his house and as soon as he has reached the place of prayer the prayer falls due."

Yahya said that Malik was asked whether a man who prayed with the imam could leave before the khutba, and he said, "He should not leave until the imam leaves."

1. Yahya related to me from Malik from Yazid ibn Ruman from Salih ibn Khawwat from someone who had prayed (the fear prayer) with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, on the day of Dhat ar-Riqa'* that one group had formed a row with him and one group had formed a row opposite the enemy. He then prayed one rak'at with the group he was with, and then remained standing while they finished by themselves. They then left and formed a row opposite the enemy, and then the other group came and he prayed the remaining rak'at of his prayer with them, and then remained sitting while they finished by themselves. Then he said the taslim with them.

2. Famous raid in which constant sentries had to be established.

2.[Bukhari & Muslim]

2. Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Sa'id from al-Qasim ibn Muhammad from Salih ibn Khawwat that Sahl ibn Abi Hathma related to him that the form of the fear prayer was that the imam stood with a group of his companions, while another group faced the enemy. The imam prayed one rak'at with them, including the prostration, and then stood. He remained standing while they completed the remaining rak'at by themselves. They then said the taslim, left, and formed up opposite the enemy while the imam remained standing. Then the others who had not prayed came forward and said the takbir behind the imam and he prayed one rak'at with them, including the prostration. He then said the taslim, while they stood up and prayed the remaining rak'at by themselves. Then they said the taslim.

3. Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi' that 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar, when asked about the fear prayer said, "The imam and a group of people go forward and the imam prays a rak'at with them, while another group, who have not yet prayed, position themselves between him and the enemy. When those who are with him have prayed a rak'at they draw back to where those who have not prayed are, and do not say the taslim. Then those who have not prayed come forward and pray a rak'at with him. Then the imam leaves, as he has now prayed two rak'ats. Everyone else in both groups stands and prays a rak'at by himself after the imam has left. In this way each of the two groups will have prayed two rak'ats. If the fear is greater than that, then the men pray standing on their feet or mounted, either facing the qibla or otherwise."

Malik said that Nafi' said, "I do not believe that 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar related it from anyone other than the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace."

2. [cf Bukhari 4261]

4. Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Sa'id that Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, did not pray Dhuhr and 'Asr on the Day of the Trench until after the sun had set."

2. [In Muslim]

Malik said, "The hadith of al-Qasim ibn Muhammad from Salih ibn Khawwat is the one I like most out of what I have heard about the fear prayer."

1.Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn 'Urwa from his father that 'A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "There was an eclipse of the sun in the time of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, led the people in prayer. He stood, and did so for a long time. Then he went into ruku', and made the ruku' long. Then he stood again, and did so for a long time, though not as long as the first time. Then he went into ruku', and made the ruku' long, though not as long as the first time. Then he rose, and went down into sajda. He then did the same in the second rak'at, and by the time he had finished the sun had appeared. He then gave a khutba to the people, in which he praised Allah and then said, 'The sun and the moon are two of Allah's signs. They do not eclipse for anyone's death nor for anyone's life. When you see an eclipse, call on Allah and say, "Allah is greater" and give sadaqa.' Then he said, 'O community of Muhammad! By Allah, there is no one more jealous than Allah of a male or female slave of his who commits adultery. O community of Muhammad! By Allah, if you knew what I knew, you would laugh little and weep much'."

2.Yahya related to me from Malik from Zayd ibn Aslam from 'Ata' ibn Yasar that 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas said, "There was an eclipse of the sun and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, prayed, and the people prayed with him. He stood for a long time, nearly as long as (it takes to recite) Surat al-Baqara (2), and then went into ruku' for a long time. Then he rose and stood for a long time, though less than the first time. Then he went into ruku' for a long time, though less than the first time. Then he went down into sajda. Then he stood for a long time, though less than the first time. Then he went into ruku' for a long time, though less than the first time. Then he rose and stood for a long time, though less than the first time. Then he went into ruku' for a long time, though less than the first time. Then he went down into sajda, and by the time he had finished the sun had appeared.

Then he said, 'The sun and the moon are two of Allah's signs. They do not eclipse for anyone's death nor for anyone's life. When you see an eclipse, remember Allah.' They said, 'Messenger of Allah, we saw you reach out for something while you were standing here and then we saw you withdraw.' He said, 'I saw the Garden and I reached out for a bunch of grapes from it, and if I had taken it you would have been able to eat from it for as long as this world lasted. Then I saw the Fire - and I have never seen anything more hideous than what I saw today - and I saw that most of its people were women.' They said, 'Why, Messenger of Allah?' He said, 'Because of their ungratefulness (kufr).' Someone asked, 'Are they ungrateful to Allah?' He said, 'They are ungrateful to their husbands and they are ungrateful for good behaviour (towards them). Even if you were to behave well towards one of them for a whole lifetime and then she were to see you do something (that she did not like) she would say that she had never seen anything good from you.'"

3.Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Sa'id from 'Amra bint 'Abd ar-Rahman from 'A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, that a Jewish woman came to beg from her and said, "May Allah give you refuge from the punishment of the grave." So 'A'isha asked the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, "Are people punished in their graves?", and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, took refuge in Allah from that. Then one morning the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, went out on a journey and there was an eclipse of the sun, and he returned in the late morning and passed through his apartments. Then he stood and prayed, and the people stood behind him. He stood for a long time, and then went into ruku' for a long time. Then he rose and stood for a long time, though less than the first time, and then went into ruku' for a long time, though less than the first time. Then he rose, and went down into sajda. Then he stood for a long time, though less than the time before, and then went into ruku' for a long time, though less than the time before. Then he rose and stood for a long time, though less than the time before, and then went into ruku' for a long time though less than the time before. Then he rose, and went down into sajda. When he had finished he said what Allah willed him to say, and then he told them to seek protection for themselves from the punishment of the grave."

About the Eclipse Prayer

4.Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn 'Urwa from Fatima bint al-Mundhir that Asma' bint Abi Bakr as-Siddiq said, "I went to 'A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, during an eclipse of the sun, and everybody was standing in prayer, and she too was standing praying. I said, 'What is everybody doing?' She pointed towards the sky with her hand and said, 'Glory be to Allah.' I said, 'A sign?' She nodded 'Yes' with her head."

She continued, "I stood until I had almost fainted, and I began to pour water over my head. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, praised Allah and spoke well of Him, and then said, 'There is nothing which I had previously not seen beforehand that I have not now seen while standing - even the Garden and the Fire. It has been revealed to me that you will be tried in your graves with a trial, like, or near to, the trial of the Dajjal (I do not know which one Asma' said). Everyone of you will have someone who comes to him and asks him, 'What do you know about this man?' A believer (mumin), or one who has certainty (muqin) (I do not know which one Asma' said), will say, 'He is Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, who came to us with clear proofs and guidance, and we answered and believed and followed.' He will then be told, 'Sleep in a good state. We know now that you were a believer.' A hypocrite, however, or one who has doubts (I do not know which one Asma' said), will say, 'I do not know, I heard everybody saying something and I said it.'"

1. Yahya related to me from Malik from Sumayy, the mawla of Abu Bakr ibn 'Abd ar-Rahman, from Abu Salih as-Sammani from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "If someone does ghusl for major ritual impurity (janaba) on the day of Jumu'a and then goes in the first part of the time, it is as if he has offered up a camel. If he goes in the second part of the time, it is as if he has offered up a cow. If he goes in third part of the time, it is as if he has offered up a horned ram. If he goes in the fourth part of the time, it is as if he has offered up a hen. If he goes in the fifth part of the time, it is as if he has offered up an egg. And when the imam comes out, the angels settle down listening to the dhikr (remembrance of Allah)."

2. Yahya related to me from Malik from Sa'id ibn Abi Sa'id al-Maqburi that Abu Hurayra used to say, "Doing ghusl as prescribed for major ritual impurity (janaba) is incumbent (wajib) on the day of Jumu'a on every male who has reached puberty."

3. Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab that Salim ibn 'Abdullah said, "One of the companions of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came into the mosque on the day of Jumu'a while 'Umar ibn al-Khattab was already giving the khutba. 'Umar asked, 'What (kind of) time is this (to arrive)?' He replied, 'Amir al-Muminin, I returned from the market and heard the call to prayer, so I did no more than do wudu'.' 'Umar said, 'You only did wudu' as well? You know that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to instruct people to do ghusl.'"

4. Yahya related to me from Malik from Safwan ibn Sulaym from 'Ata' ibn Yasar from Abu Sa'id al-Khudri that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Ghusl on the day of Jumu'a is incumbent on every male who has reached puberty."

5. Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi' from Ibn 'Umar that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "When you go to Jumu'a, do ghusl."

Malik said, "It is not enough for someone to do a ghusl on the day of Jumu'a and intend by it the ghusl for Jumu'a unless he does ghusl and then sets off. That is because the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said in the hadith related by Ibn 'Umar, 'When you go to Jumu'a, perform ghusl.'"

Malik said, "If someone does ghusl on the day of Jumu'a and intends by it the ghusl of the day of Jumu'a and then sets out, whether early or late, and does something which breaks his wudu', he only has to do wudu' and his ghusl remains valid for him."

5.2 Paying attention when the imam is giving the Khutba on the day of Jumu'a

6. Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'z-Zinad from al-A'raj from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Even saying to your companion 'Listen' while the imam is giving the khutba on the day of Jumu'a, constitutes foolish chatter."

7. Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab that Tha'laba ibn Abi Malik al-Quradhi informed him that in the time of 'Umar ibn al-Khattab they used to pray on the day of Jumu'a until 'Umar came out, and when 'Umar came out and sat on the mimbar and the mu'adhdhins called the adhan, they would sit and talk, and then when the mu'adhdhins were silent and 'Umar stood to give the khutba, they would pay attention and no one would speak.

8. Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'n-Nadr, the mawla of 'Umar ibn 'Ubaydullah, from Malik ibn Abi 'Amir that 'Uthman ibn 'Affan used to say in khutbas, and he would seldom omit it if he was giving the khutba, "When the imam stands delivering the khutba on the day of Jumu'a, listen and pay attention, for there is the same portion for someone who pays attention but cannot hear as for someone who pays attention and hears. And when the iqama of the prayer is called, straighten your rows and make your shoulders adjacent to each other, because the straightening of the rows is part of the completion of the prayer." Then he would not say the takbir until some men who had been entrusted with straightening the rows came and told him that they were straight. Then he would say the takbir.

9. Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi' that 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar saw two men talking while the imam was giving the khutba on the day of Jumu'a and he threw pebbles at them to alert them to be quiet.

10. Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that a man sneezed on the day of Jumu'a while the imam was giving the khutba, and a man by his side asked Allah to bless him. Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab was asked about that and disapproved of what the man had done and said, "Do not do it again."

11.Yahya related to me from Malik that when he asked Ibn Shihab about talking in the Jumu'a after the imam had come down from the minbar but before he had said the takbir. Ibn Shihab said, "There is no harm in that."

5.3 Catching a Rak'a of the Jumu'a Prayer

12. Yahya related to me from Malik that Ibn Shihab used to say, "Someone who catches a rak'at of the Jumu'a prayer should pray another rak'a with it." Ibn Shihab said, "That is the sunna."

Malik said, "I saw the people of knowledge in our city doing that. That is because the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'Whoever catches a rak'a of the prayer has caught the prayer.'"

Malik said, concerning someone who was in a crowd on the day of Jumu'a and did the ruku' but was not able to go into sajda until the imam had risen or finished his prayer, "If he is able to do the sajda and has already done the ruku' then he should do the sajda when the people stand up. If he is unable to do the sajda until after the imam has finished the prayer, then I prefer that he begins the prayer again and does the four rak'as of Dhuhr."

5.4 Nose Bleeds on the Day of Jumu'a

13. Malik said, "Someone who has a nose bleed on the day of Jumu'a while the imam is giving the khutba and he leaves and does not come back until the imam has finished the prayer, should pray four rak'ats."

Malik said that if someone prayed a rak'a with the imam on the day of Jumu'a and then his nose started to bleed so he left and came back and the imam had prayed both rak'ats, then he should complete the prayer with another rak'a as long as he had not spoken.

Malik said, "Someone who has a nose bleed, or something else happens to him that forces him to leave, does not have to ask permission of the imam if he wants to leave on the day of Jumu'a."

5.5 Making Haste on the Day of Jumu'a

14. Yahya related to me from Malik that he had asked Ibn Shihab about the word of Allah, the Majestic, the Mighty, "O you who believe! When the prayer is called on the Day of Jumu'a, hasten to the remembrance of Allah." (62:9). Ibn Shihab said, "'Umar ibn al-Khattab used to recite, 'When the call is made for the prayer on the day of Jumu'a, go to the remembrance of Allah.'"

Malik said, "Making haste in the Book of Allah is only deed and action. Allah the Blessed, the Exalted, says 'When he leaves you, he goes about the earth ' (2:205), and He, the Exalted, said, 'But as for him who comes to you eagerly showing fearfulness' (80:8), and He said, 'Then hastily backed away' (79:22), and He said, 'Your striving is to widely different ends'" (92:4). Malik said, "Thus the making haste which Allah mentions in His Book is not running on the feet or exertion. It only means deed and actions."

5.6 The Imam's Stopping off in a Town on the Day of Jumu'a

15. Malik said, "If the imam stops off on a journey in a settlement where Jumu'a is obligatory and he gives a khutba and leads them in the Jumu'a prayer, then the people of the town and any other people present do the Jumu'a prayer with him."

Malik said, "If the imam gathers people for prayer while he is travelling in a settlement where the Jumu'a prayer is not obligatory, then there is no Jumu'a for him, nor for the people of the town, nor for anyone else who joins them for the prayer in congregation, and the people of the settlement and anyone else who is not travelling should perform the full prayer."

Malik added, "Jumu'a is not obligatory for a traveller."

5.7 The Special Time in the Day of Jumu'a

16. Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'z-Zinad from al-A'raj from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, mentioned the day of Jumu'a and said, "There is a time in it when Allah gives to a Muslim standing in prayer whatever he asks for," and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, indicated with his hand how small it was.

17. Yahya related to me from Malik from Yazid ibn 'Abdullah ibn al-Had from Muhammad ibn Ibrahim ibn al-Harith at-Taymi from Abu Salama ibn 'Abd ar-Rahman ibn 'Awf that Abu Hurayra said, "I went out to at-Tur (Mount Sinai) and met Ka'b al-Ahbar and sat with him. He related to me things from the Torah and I related to him things from the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Among the things I related to him was that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'The best of days on which the sun rises is the day of Jumu'a. On it Adam was created, and on it he fell from the Garden. On it he was forgiven, and on it he died. On it the Hour occurs, and every moving thing listens from morning till sunset in apprehension of the Hour except jinn and men. During it there is a time when Allah gives to a Muslim slave standing in prayer whatever he asks for.' Ka'b said, 'That is one day in every year.' I said, 'No, every Jumu'a.' Then Ka'b recited the Torah and said, 'The Messenger of Allah has spoken the truth.'"

Abu Hurayra continued, "I met Basra ibn Abi Basra al-Ghifari and he said, 'Where have you come from?' I said, 'From at-Tur.' He said, 'If I had seen you before you left, you would not have gone. I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, "Only make a special journey to three mosques: the mosque of the Haram (Makka), this mosque (Madina), and the mosque of Ilya' or the Bait al-Maqdis (two names of Jerusalem)."'" (He was not sure which expression was used.)

Abu Hurayra continued, "Then I met 'Abdullah ibn Salam and I told him that I had sat with Ka'b al-Ahbar, and I mentioned what I had related to him about the day of Jumu'a, and told him that Ka'b had said, 'That is one day in every year.' 'Abdullah ibn Salam said, 'Ka'b lied,' and I added, 'Ka'b then recited the Torah and said, "No, it is every Jumu'a." ' 'Abdullah ibn Salam said, 'Ka'b spoke the truth.' Then 'Abdullah ibn Salam said, 'I know what time that is.'"

Abu Hurayra continued, "I said to him, 'Let me know it - don't keep it from me.' 'Abdullah ibn Salam said, 'It is the last period of time in the day of Jumu'a.' "

Abu Hurayra continued, "I said, 'How can it be the last period of time in the day of Jumu'a, when the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "a Muslim standing in prayer", and that is a time when there is no prayer?' 'Abdullah ibn Salam replied, 'Did not the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, "Whoever sits waiting for the prayer is in prayer until he prays?'"

Abu Hurayra added, "I said, 'Of course.' He said, 'Then it is that.'"

[The hadith is also in Abu Dawud, at-Tirmidhi and an-Nasa'i]

5.8 Good Appearance and Not Stepping over People and Facing the Imam on the Day of Jumu'a

18.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Sa'id that he had heard that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "There is nothing wrong in wearing two garments which are not work-clothes for Jumu'a." 19. Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi' that 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar would never go to Jumu'a without wearing oil and perfume except when it was forbidden (i.e. when he was in ihram).

20. Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi' from 'Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr ibn Hazm from whoever related it to him that Abu Hurayra used to say, "It is better for a man to pray on the surface of al-Harra (a rocky area in Madina) than for him to wait until the imam stands to give the khutba and then come and step over people's necks."

Malik said, "The sunna with us is that the people face the imam on the day of Jumu'a when he intends to give the khutba, whether they are near the qibla or elsewhere."

5.9 The Recitation in the Jumu'a Prayer, the Sitting, and Missing the Prayer without a Reason

21. Yahya related to me from Malik from Damra ibn Sa'id al-Mazini from 'Ubaydullah ibn 'Abdullah ibn 'Utba ibn Mas'ud that ad-Dahhak ibn Qays asked an-Nu'man ibn Bashir, "What did the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to recite on the day of Jumu'a after Surat al-Jumu'a (sura 62)?" He said, "He used to recite Surat al-Ghashiya (sura 88)."

22. Yahya related to me from Malik that Safwan ibn Sulaym said, "If anyone misses Jumu'a three times without reason or illness, Allah will set a seal on his heart." (Malik said, "I do not know if it was from the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, or not."

23. Yahya related to me from Malik from Ja'far ibn Muhammad from his father that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, gave two khutbas on the day of Jumu'a and sat down between them.